How to Cut Around a Picture of a Face in MS Paint

Filonia LeChat Updated February 21, 2017

Microsoft Paint, the no-frills graphic software package included with the Windows operating system, may not have as many tools or options as other more robust programs, but it does the trick for simple operations. When working with digital photographs, for example, Paint's selection tools are optimal for a quick cut and paste or just cutting.

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Open Paint. Click the Paint button. Select "Open." Locate the photo with the face to cut and double-click its file name. The picture opens in the Paint workspace.

Click the "Select" button, which looks like a dotted square, on the left side of the ribbon. Choose the "Free-form selection" option.

Draw an outline around the face to cut. Paint surrounds the area with a dotted square, but knows to keep the shape of the face for cutting.

Click the "Cut" button on the left side of the ribbon. The face is cut from the picture.

Tip

To leave the face and cut everything out around it, proceed with the "Free-form selection" tool to cut around the face. Once the face is in the dotted box, click the "Select" button again, click "Invert selection" and click the "Cut" button. Everything but the face will be cut from the picture.

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About the Author

Fionia LeChat is a technical writer whose major skill sets include the MS Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Publisher), Photoshop, Paint, desktop publishing, design and graphics. LeChat has a Master of Science in technical writing, a Master of Arts in public relations and communications and a Bachelor of Arts in writing/English.